2006-03-02 - Buenos Aires - iPod ready

You're right. But you forget that Principle, the RIAA and such might have a different view on this.
Kev and Frank just protect their site with this policy. Believe me, they don't ban this stuff for fun.

Originally posted by yeah[..]

You're right. But you forget that Principle, the RIAA and such might have a different view on this.
Kev and Frank just protect their site with this policy. Believe me, they don't ban this stuff for fun.

Originally posted by drewhiggins[..]

You wanna watch for the RIAA. Not a nice group by any standards. And it's as easy as a C&D letter to tell them to move their arses on out of there.

Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

I understand that aswell I just get incensed at stupid nanny state rules that get imposed on us. People doing all this work and spending money to buy equipment and record shows for the pleasure of the rest of us just to be restricted when they want to share it.

Anyone who says ripping your own paid for CD to your ipod is illegal deserves to be shot

The version of this software used in Sony CDs is the one marketed as "XCP-Aurora". The first time a user attempts to play such a CD on a Windows system, a program will be installed even before a dialog box prompts the user to accept a license agreement.

The EULA did not mention that it installed hidden software. The software will then remain resident in the user's system, intercepting all accesses of the CD drive to prevent any media player or ripper software other than the one included with XCP-Aurora from accessing the music tracks of the Sony CD. No obvious way to uninstall the program is provided. Attempting to remove the software by deleting the associated files manually will render the CD drive inoperable due to registry settings that the program has altered.

The included player software will play the songs and allow only a limited degree of other actions such as burning the music onto a certain number of other CDs or loading it onto certain DRM-protected devices such as a few portable music players. The popular iPod, sold by Sony competitor Apple Computer, does not support their DRM format and they could not use FairPlay, Apple's own DRM.

XCP conceals itself from the user by installing a patch to the Windows operating system. This patch stops ordinary system tools from displaying processes, registry entries, or files whose names begin with $sys$. Other XCP components include "Plug and Play Device Manager", which continuously monitors all other programs being run on the computer.


On a National Public Radio program, Thomas Hesse, President of Sony BMG's global digital business division asked "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" He explained that "The software is designed to protect our CDs from unauthorized copying and ripping and Rootkit technology is one of the best ways to do just that."

Security researchers beginning with Mark Russinovich in October 2005 have described the program as functionally identical to a rootkit: a software program used by computer hackers to conceal unauthorised activities on a computer system. Russinovich broke the story on his Sysinternals blog, where it gained attention from the media and other researchers. The publicity, which grew to include a civil lawsuit and criminal investigations, soon forced Sony to discontinue use of the system.

While Sony eventually recalled the CDs that contained the XCP system, the web-based uninstaller was investigated by noted security researchers Ed Felten and J. Alex Halderman, who discovered that the ActiveX component used for removing the software exposed users to far more significant security risks, including arbitrary code execution from any site on the internet.

Originally posted by drewhiggins[..]
People say to me "Well, isn't it illegal to trade and record shows?" No, because they've never been released so no profit is lost by anyone and we're not making money.

Originally posted by yeah[..]

It's not that easy, that whole bootleg thing is still a grey area when it comes to U2. But they certainly don't act like Prince.

Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

if I was a successful artist I couldn't give 2 tosses about people recording my shows. If people are willing to put the time, money and effort in heck i'd give them access to the soundboard (I think my record company would step in there though). But if some wanker started to sell those shoes then I would also 'find out where they parked their car'

Originally posted by drewhiggins[..]

And in the words of the very band "I Threw A Brick Through A Window".

Originally posted by drewhigginsHow about the knobs on eBay that sell their DVDs and CDs, that they've got from others? A little unfair if you ask me - unless like some of them say, they supposedly donate the money to charity which is a nice little thing - if they actually do that.

Originally posted by germcevoy[..]

I would consider buting one of those. Not for the DVD but some guys package them like official releases. I'd buy one for a few punds. Only my absolute favorites though but them guys only really do the pro-shots (LA, Buenos Aires etc)

Originally posted by drewhiggins[..]

Only if it was something you couldn't get elsewhere. I changed my avatar...something less irritating. I'm off to bed - plenty of new shows thanks to you.

Night everyone!